H.—4o.

It is of interest to note that, of the £6,061,938 which represents the expenditure necessary on account of maintenance and loan charges paid in respect of all roads, streets, bridges, and footways 51 per cent, was provided by the local ratepayer, 27 per cent, by the motorist, and 22 per cent, by the general taxpayer. These percentages have been obtained by analysing the sources of the moneys expended, and do not ijefer to the total amount contributed by way of taxation and not expended on the roads, streets, or bridges. As indicated in Table 14 of the Appendix to this report, the taxation paid in respect' of motor-vehicles by way of (a) Customs duties and surtax on vehicles and parts, (6) tire-tax, (c) petrol-tax, (d) registration and license fees, (e) heavy-traffic fees, and (/) drivers license fees for the year ended 31st March, 19-31, amounted to £2,907,153, or 48 per cent, of the total annual cost of all the roads, streets, and bridges, &c. This figure also exceeds the annual costs of main highways (£1,933,349), and represents 69 per cent of the costs for main highways and rural roads together. 9. TRANSPORT LEGISLATION IN OTHER COUNTRIES. The following are some of the most important developments in the transport affairs of other countries passed during the last year : — Queensland. —State Transport Co-ordination Act, of 1931 : An Act designed (1) To set up a Minister of Transport and Transport Department, the latter including the former Railway Department and Main Roads Department; and (2) To constitute a Transport Board and Advisory Committees for the guidance of the Minister and Department; and (3) For the control and licensing of goods- and passenger services by the Transport Board. Great Britain. —An amendment to the Road Traffic Act, 1930, lias been passed to exempt certain types of contract services from the requirements of the Act. Several inquiries are under way by Commission for report to the Government—e.g., a joint committee representative of the road and rail interests to investigate the relationship between the two modes of transport (particularly from the point of view of goods traffic), and a Commission to inquire into the causes of road accidents. Germany. —The principle of passenger and goods road-transport control has been extended, by legislation effective in November, 1931, to any type of service the operations of which resemble in character those normally performed by public service vehicles. For example, all goods carried for payment on account of a third party are subject to license requirement on journeys more than 31 miles (50 kilometres), and the element of regularity in the service is not a touchstone of the necessity to license (as formerly was the case). Austria. —Legislation became effective this year for the control and licensing of passenger and goods road services on the same broad principles as apply in this country.

10. APPENDIX.

TABLE No. 1.—MOTOR-VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS, 1925-1931. Table showing the Total Number of Vehicles registered under the Motor-vehicles Act, 1924, at 31st December, in the Years 1925 to 1931.

24

(N.B. —Dormant, but not Cancelled, Registrations aie included in this Table.) Trucks (classified according to Pay-load Capacity). gj Trailers. — .2 . "c3 cJ r d n 3'^ rc,r 5ll 22 / S cc "o i-r c3 JZ3 tSfljd o W S V 31st December, Cars. g|| g|| ||||||||| J | | I | g| | | S | § I s tn tii tsfiiiiii i, H ° i f | s 3 ; fe o o o o O ' l_ moK si Q 671 2 077 879 713 268 48 17 13,673 1,285 386 198 291 193 369 25,339 123,396 Jqor " 101 4(>2 13056 2827 1 155 824 314 48 27 18,251 1,590 465 241 432 328 455 32,101 155,325 1926 •• 101,462 13,0o6 2,827 1,100 SZ4 d±4 34>593 m285 1QOQ " 125656 17 057 4302 1*465 866 347 48 21 24,106 1,190 421 269 689 422 460 36,116 1 8 9>329 noo ■ " M3RU 8 792 6 453 1 668 852 349 51 24 28,189 1,271 372 262 945 449 501 37,349 213,152 '' - _,' i in'eqn s'o'U 1798 87° 350 51 23 30,967 1.308 305 259 1,279 464 503 37,404 227,123 1931 153,265 23,283 8,542 1,757 829 321 44 21 34,797 1,234 282 271 1,886 657 468 35,413 228,273